She's Just Like Candy

It Was Just Supposed To Be Dinner

Buck's pov:

We got out and Maddie met us at the door, letting us in as I gave her a hug, thanking her for hosting. She hugged me back and said it was no problem and said that she loved seeing me.

I smiled as I backed away from her, asking if she needed any help with anything since we were early, and she said she only needed to do a few more things to get ready, so she asked if I could finish the food while she did other things.

I agreed and brought Ravi along to help me, finishing the food and bringing it out to the table as the doorbell rang, so Maddie went to get the door, and I could hear that it was them.

I started to panic a little bit and looked at Ravi who hugged me and whispered that it would be fine and that I wasn't alone. I nodded and hugged him back before parting from him and waiting by the table for Maddie to come back with our parents.

As they walked in they looked at me and then at Ravi, asking who he was. "He's my friend, Maddie said I could bring someone since she has someone too." I said, checking my wrists before realizing I didn't have a hair tie, so I asked Ravi if he had one and he gave me one, so I put my hair up.

"Wow, your hair is so much longer than it was the last time we saw you, it's beautiful." My mom said, and I smiled and thanked her as I finished putting it up. "I decided to grow it out, I got tired of my short hair." I said, looking to Ravi as he started speaking.

"You used to have short hair? I can't picture you without your dangerously long hair that you're so attached to." He said, and I giggled before I responded, "I used to have short hair, like it didn't even reach my shoulders. That was a few years ago before I moved out, my hair always grew really fast, and I was obsessed with it being short, so I would be getting haircuts every two weeks when it would reach my shoulders."

"Wow, that's really interesting, I did not know that about you." He said, and I smiled up at him before looking to Maddie, who had brought out Chimney and Albert from hiding and started introducing them to our parents.

After everyone was introduced, we all sat down at the table: me and Ravi on one side, Chimney and Maddie on the side next to us, my parents next to them on another side, in front of Ravi and I, and then Albert across from Maddie and Chim.

We started passing the food around, and then we started eating. We were talking about random things and some memories when they started bringing up their opinions about our choices both now and as kids.

"Alright, I think we all understand that y'all don't approve of our choices, you've made that clear since we were kids." I said, looking at them before looking to Maddie, who I could tell was stressing, probably about what might happen.

"We're just saying that what you do is dangerous, and you should settle for a desk job, like Maddie." My dad said, and I looked at him before I smiled and replied, "I know what you think, you've made that clear since I was a child. But I like my job, and I'm not giving it up, so nice try, but no."

"Well maybe you should consider it, there's a very high chance that you'll end up getting severely hurt, or worse, and your mother can't lose another child." He said, and I crossed my arms on the table, leaning forward as I continued.

"Daniel wasn't my fault, I'm not saying it was your fault, but it sure as hell wasn't mine, and I'm not responsible for adhering to your fears. It's my life, and I enjoy what I do, so I'm sticking with it whether you like it or not." I said, leaning back as I kept my arms crossed, looking at them.

"Why can't you stop being so difficult and just be considerate of how your mother feels for once?" He asked, and I scoffed, rolling my eyes before I responded, "I don't know, is it what she feels, or is it what you feel? Because she hasn't said a word since you compared mine and Maddie's jobs, so why don't you let her speak for herself." I turned to my mother before I continued.